I’m happy to introduce you to a new section of this website – Public Gardens in New England. Until I started researching this topic, I never realized just how many gardens are open to the public in the New England area. It could easily take someone several years to see them all.
We are truly blessed with a wide variety of superb gardens that range from the large estates, such as Blithewold in Rhode Island, to botanical gardens, such as Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, to smaller delightful gardens, such as Tarbin Gardens in New Hampshire. Stockbridge in western Massachusetts is chock full of gardens including the Berkshire Botanical Gardens as well as those at the estates of Naumkeag and Chesterwood. Connecticut is a mecca for historic gardens, such as those at the Bellamy-Ferriday House and the Glebe House, and a destination for spectacular gardens, such as the one at the Hollister House. In Vermont, Goddard College has restored their Greatwood Gardens that were started in 1918 and opened them to the public.
To get this section underway, I’ve started with several gardens for each state, providing a brief description for each one. As with the garden tours and events that we list, we have provided a map to see where all the public gardens are located. Some of these gardens I’ve visited in the past and have provided a link to either my photo gallery or blog for further information. I hope to visit many more of them in the coming months and will add more information and photos as I visit them.
I will also be adding to the list of gardens each month as time allows and hope this section will encourage people to visit these gardens, many of which are on our doorstep! Also, write to me with additional information for the gardens listed or suggestions on gardens to add based on your experiences. I would love to hear from you!